Realist Review of Implementing & Maintaining a SH&D Program

Our knowledge about Implementing, Maintaining, Scaling Up and Sustaining (IMSS) programs and approaches gas been accumulating. We just came across this 2015 realist review that illuminates and substantiates our recent efforts to summarize the available knowledge. (See our summary and other information on this page in the Schools-for-All web site. Pearson et al (2015) "conducted a realist review to identify the conditions and actions which lead to the successful implementation of health promotion programmes in schools. We used the international literature to develop programme theories which were These theories were "then tested using evaluations of school health promotion programmes conducted in the United Kingdom (UK). developed four programme theories (preparing for implementation, initial implementation, embedding into routine practice, adaptation and evolution); these were then refined using the UK evaluations in the review. This enabled us to identify transferable mechanisms and enabling and constraining contexts and investigate how the operation of mechanisms differed in different contexts. We also identified steps that should be taken at a senior level in relation to preparing for implementation (which revolved around negotiation about programme delivery) and initial implementation (which centred on facilitation, support, and reciprocity—the latter for both programme deliverers and pupils). However, the depth and rigour of evidence concerning embedding into routine practice and adaptation and evolution was limited."
Although this review examined only health & life skills education programs delivered by teachers, its findings and theories offer insights and application to other programs and approaches. Go to the full text (free) article. Go to our IMSS summaries.